Strang stroke as WCM goes to #1

STRANG MAKES STRONG MOVE: Warner/Chappell has experienced a dramatic turnaround in the 19 months since indie entrepreneur Cameron Strang was tapped to lead the pubco. Strang’s revitalization program reached critical mass in the second quarter, when, for the first time in company history, Warner/Chappell became the industry’s marketshare leader with a robust 17.1%, vaulting all the way from #4 in the previous quarter. What’s more, WCM while notched up 40 of Q2’s 100 most-played radio songs—more than any other publisher—including the top three: Gotye f/Kimbra’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Fun.’s “We Are Young” and The Wanted’s “Glad You Came.” It’s an impressive achievement for a dynamic young exec who—like incoming Interscope President/COO John Janick—cut his teeth and vaulted to success in the indie sector before making the leap to the major leagues. Strang previously founded and led both Southside Independent Music Publishing—which he brought into the Warner/Chappell fold when he took the job—and New West Records. (8/15a)